The fight began on Christmas Day, a holiday that can be stressful, according to her lawyer, Paramore.

“The conversation got intense,” he said.

She doesn’t remember pulling the trigger, Paramore said, but two shell casings from a .40 caliber Glock were found at the scene, according to District Attorney Ernie Lee.

The fatal shot was the one to Barry Poindexter’s head, Lee told the court.

Afterwards, Sherry Poindexter went to the bank and took out $28,000, driving to Sanford to give $14,000 to one son and giving $16,000 to her other son in Virginia, Paramore said.

“She quit thinking about herself,” he said, an action he said was incredible.

After splitting the money between her children, Paramore said his client came back to the house and set the bed on fire because she was so overcome with the reality of what she’d done. She then went to the Holly Ridge Police Department to turn herself in.

Barry Poindexter was found on the bed, laying on his right side, hands under his head and his legs crossed. There was charring on 70 percent of his body, Lee said. Lee said investigators found traces of gasoline in the bedroom.

“The walls were dark with smoke,” Lee said.

Lee told the court Sherry Poindexter contemplated suicide that night and Paramore said two attempts have been made while she’s been in jail since her arrest.

“It’s a very painful set of facts,” Paramore said.

Her actions were completely out of character for her, Paramore said, and it was her choice to take a plea deal, to avoid the pressure of a trial.

Lee said Barry Poindexter’s family felt a sense of relief and were grateful to not be going to trial. The family suffered an extreme tragedy, he said, and none of them elected to speak during the sentencing.

In light of the aggravating circumstances — as her victim’s wife, Poindexter was in a position of trust and confidence — Presiding Judge Charles Henry decided the aggravating circumstances outweighed any mitigating factors that could have been considered when determining her sentence.

He sentenced Poindexter to a minimum of 22 years to a maximum of more than 27 years in prison for killing her husband.